AA calls on govt to invest in roads, other transport initiatives rather than the Gautrain expansion
Photo by Creamer Media
Photo by Creamer Media
Industry organisation the Automobile Association (AA) has called on the government to redirect investments to other initiatives rather than supporting the Gautrain’s proposed R120-billion expansion project.
It posits that Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile’s announcement that the Gautrain has lost five-million passengers over the past four years as a sign that the system is financially unsustainable and does not cater to the majority of commuters.
It also queries whether the 125 000 jobs that the expansion is set to create will be sustainable.
The AA has instead called on government to invest in fixing roads, noting that deteriorating infrastructure is a financial burden on motorists and also worsens congestion.
It has also suggested upgrading taxis and buses, highlighting reliable and efficient public transport as essential for the daily lives of most South Africans.
It has also suggested expansion of accessible public transport, positing that the Gautrain is an “elitist” service.
“From the outset, we have cautioned that this expansion is misguided . . . It’s time to refocus our investments on solutions that genuinely matter – transport initiatives that uplift all South Africans, not just a privileged few. The AA calls on authorities to reassess their transport priorities and champion practical, inclusive solutions that benefit the many, rather than the elite minority,” the AA asserts. 
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
At John Ratcliffe, we are aftermarket specialists for heavy-duty on and off-road vehicles. We engineer and retrofit advanced safety systems, engine...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Weir is a global leader in mining technology. We recognise that our planet’s future depends on the transition to renewable energy, and that...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
